


Worst days.

by RussianSunflower3



Series: Sunflower's WHUMPTOBER 2018 [4]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: "no stop!", Anxiety Attacks, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Good Friends, Whumptober 2018, vent fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-07-25 08:34:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16193918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RussianSunflower3/pseuds/RussianSunflower3
Summary: Yamaguchi can clearly separate his days with labels; Good days, Bad days, and the worst days.Today, unfortunately, seems to be the latter.





	Worst days.

“Nice receive!” Yamaguchi was late. Oh god, he was so late. He was standing just outside the gym, back flat against the wall, listening to the sounds inside as he broke out into a cold sweat.

Daichi was going to _kill_ him. The captain had a strict 5 minute rule, and anyone later than five minutes received an earful about their tardiness. 

Yamaguchi was _forty two minutes late_. 

So yes, he was fully convinced their beloved captain was going to crucify him. He couldn’t even put up an excuse. What was he supposed to say? ‘I had a bad day and cried in the toilets for twenty minutes before heavily dissociating’? As if he would ever tell the _truth_.

Tsukishima was probably the only one who knew how bad Yamaguchi’s breakdowns could get, which was possibly why nobody had come searching for him, if Tsukishima had persuaded them not to.

As Yamaguchi was considering just fleeing and meeting his best friend down the road, far enough away that no one else took that route, a volleyball came bouncing out the door, echoed by a cry of _‘dumbass, Hinata!’_ , and Hinata’s exclamation that he’d get it back.

Oh no. Oh nonono. Oh _no_. 

Yamaguchi isn’t ready at all, not ready to be seens, not ready to join practice, and his jelly-like legs that feel as heavy as stone are certainly not ready to run away. An orange blur leaps out the door after the volleyball, holds it up with a shout of victory, and then turns around. He freezes.

“Yamaguchi?” Pretty sure that cold sweat is visibly dripping down his face, Yamaguchi holds up a hand, eyes closed, and mouth shaped like a V. That stabbing feeling in his stomach and pounding in his chest _has_ to be actual weapons and not just anxiety, right?

“Y-Yo.” Hinata seems to pay no mind to how out of place and unsettled Yamaguchi looks, breaking into a shining grin and bolting back into the gymnasium, gleefully announcing Yamaguchi’s arrival.

“Yamaguchi’s heeeere~!” Sighing, he realises there’s no point in hiding here and pretending he doesn’t exist anymore.

_‘Thanks, Hinata.’_

Nervously, shyly, he pokes his head around the door. All eyes are on him. He quickly whips back to where he was. Maybe they’ll think they were hallucinating! Maybe a miracle will happen and they’ll forget the past 8 seconds! Maybe he can actually escape this without Daichi-

Nope.

There’s a hand on the doorframe and the Captain steps out, an aura like thunder despite the smile on his face. He seems to emit rage, and Yamaguchi gulps, pretty sure Daichi is about to burst a vein.

“U-Um… Hi? Captain?” Daichi places a hand on his shoulder, squeezing tightly enough that it actually _hurts_.

“You’re here, then.”

“... Yes..?” The tiny squeak seems to only increase Daichi’s rage, thumb twitching where it’s pressed into Yamaguchi’s uniform. His school uniform, because he hasn’t had the time or energy to go to the clubroom yet.

“How late are you, Yamaguchi?” Oh god, Oh god, Oh god. Why couldn’t lightning strike him _right now_? Where were the higher powers when he needed them?

“Really… Late?”

“ _How_ late.” The smile slips into a grin and Yamaguchi sees his entire life flash in front of his eyes.

Huh.

Well that was boring.

“45 minutes… Late…” Daichi nods, withdrawing his hand to cross his arms and Yamaguchi kind of wants to burst into tears.

“I don’t know if you recall, but I made it very clear that punishment would be given to those without a valid reason.”

“I recall.”

“What’s your reason?” Yamaguchi hesitates. Gulps again. He wrings his fingers together and his eyes dart around, until he catches a glimpse of Tsukishima watching from the gymnasium, obviously concerned. He’s distracted when the Coach calls him over, and Yamaguchi turns his gaze to the ground.

“I don’t… Have one…” 

“The fact you can say that _pisses me off_ , Yamaguchi. You’re 45 minutes late! Not 5, not even 10! Forty-fucking-five!” Daichi is absolutely enraged, and that smile has dropped off his face and his eyes are filled with fire and Yamaguchi shrinks away.

He’s seen anger like this before.  
He doesn’t like to remember.

“Please… Stop…” His tiny whisper is too quiet to be heard underneath Daichi’s lecture, but the radio static filling his ears is loud and the distress clogs up his throat like a lump. He’s not having a good day. He’s having the _worst_ day. He’s not sure he can take this.

“Daichi.” The captain cuts off his rant at a cool interjection, Tsukishima stepping out after excusing himself from practice. He takes one look at Yamaguchi and starts to steer him away.

“We’re done here. See you at morning practice.” Brown eyes blink at him, baffled.

“Wha- What? Tsukishima, I’m in the middle of something.” Tsukishima glares at him, a sharp and harsh expression that would make a lesser person quake.

“And Tadashi is clearly finished. I’m sure you’ll get an explanation another day, but for now, we’re leaving.” Daichi double takes at Yamaguchi, the rage ebbing away so he’s not so blind, and he suddenly understands why Tsukishima has intervened.

Yamaguchi looks a mix of terrified and not-all-there.

All Yamaguchi knows is that Tsukishima just used his first name, and whilst he had know it was one of the worst days before, Tsukishima basically just admitted he looks as bad as he feels.

“Yamaguchi, I’m so sorry! I should have been more sensitive, rather than just getting angry! I’m- I’m sorry.” He wants to tell Daichi, who bows in apology, that it’s okay and he was expecting a lecture, but his tongue feels heavy in his mouth and his soul feels detached from his body.

“It’s okay, Yamaguchi wouldn’t be mad.” Thank _god_ Tsukishima seems to be psychic today. But then, he always has been when Yamaguchi hits rock bottom.

“Can you get home safely?” 

“Yes.”

“Alright. Look after him for us, Tsukishima.” Tsukishima narrows his eyes as if to say ‘I always do’, but there’s no need for hostility when Daichi is just being kind.

“We’ll be back tomorrow.” With that, Tsukishima starts walking, being incredibly gentle in how he tugs Yamaguchi along, making sure he doesn’t walk into anything, or stray into the road, or fall over. 

But the worst days can get worse, and Yamaguchi can feel himself plummeting, spiralling into a pitfall that he can’t stop, his severe anxiety and the stress of the day, and the anger he _remembers_ taking too much a toll. There's a reason he doesn't have a dad anymore.

Tears drip down his face and he hiccups, Tsukishima leading him into a quiet alleyway off the main street for a little bit of privacy. Tsukishima pulls him into a loose hug, resting one hand on the back of Yamaguchi’s head.

“M- Make it stop, please, make it stop…”

“You’re okay, Tadashi. I’ve got you.” Yamaguchi had described the feeling to Tsukishima before, after his last ‘worst day’ episode back in middle school.

It like being sucker-punched and vacuumed down a corridor too small for him to fit through, until he was floating in an empty space of nothing, unable to move, where the air was a thick as slime and anything he could hear was distorted, like he was underwater.

“I don’t- Stop! Stop, no! No, stop! _Please_!” Choking sobs fade into rasped breathing and Tsukishima knows Yamaguchi has fallen into a trance-like state, although it seems to be more like suspended animation. 

He wishes they had gotten home first, but it’s not Yamaguchi’s fault. For now, there’s nothing to do but stand with his back to the alleyway wall and keep his friend company. He strokes through Yamaguchi’s hair, knowing that this won’t last forever. No matter how many times Yamaguchi goes through this, there are good days and ‘best days’ too.

Things will be better tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> Please kudos and comment.


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